Fixing Broken Links on Your Website: Insight Into Handling the Elusive 404 Error

A 404 error is anHTTP status code that means the page you were trying to reach on a website couldn’t be found on theirserver . Here’s what you can do.

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1. Retry the web page by pressingF5 , clicking/tapping the refresh/reload button, or repeatedly trying the URL from the address bar.
   The 404 Not Found error might appear for several reasons even though no real issue exists, so sometimes a simple refresh will often load the page you were looking for.
2. Check for errors in the URL . Often times this error appears because the URL was typed wrong or the link selected points to the wrong URL.
3. Move up one directory level at a time in the URL until you find something.
   For example, if**<www.web.com/a/b/c.htm> ** gave you the 404 Not Found error, move up to**<www.web.com/a/b/> ** . If you get nothing here (or an error), move up to**<www.web.com/a/> ** . This should lead you toward what you’re looking for or confirm that it’s no longer available.
   If you have moved up to the website’s home page, try to run a search for the information you’re looking for. If the site doesn’t have a search function, try navigating to the page you want using category links to dig deeper into the site.
4. Search for the page from apopular search engine . It’s possible that you simply have the entirely wrong URL in which case a quick Google or Bing search should get you where you want to go.
   If you do find the page you were after, update your bookmark or favorite to avoid the HTTP 404 error in the future.
5. Clear your browser’s cache if you have any indication that the 404 message might just be yours. For example, if you can reach the URL from your phone but not from your tablet, clearing the cache on your tablet’s browser might help.
   You might also considerclearing your browser’s cookies or at least the one(s) involved with the website in question if clearing the cache didn’t work.
6. Change the DNS servers used by your computer, but usually only if an entire website gives you a 404 error, especially if the website is available to those on other networks (e.g., your mobile phone network or a friend in another city).
   Sitewide 404s errors on a website aren’t common unless yourISP or government filters/censors websites. No matter the reason, if it does happen, giving another set ofDNS servers a try is a good step to take. See ourFree and Public DNS Servers List for some alternatives and instructions on doing this.
7. Contact the website directly. If they’ve removed the page you’re after, then the 404 error is completely legitimate, and they should be able to tell you that. If they’ve_moved_ the page and are generating errors instead of redirecting visitors to the new page, they’ll be happy to hear from you so they can fix it.
   If you suspect everyone is getting a 404 error for this site, but you’re not sure, a quick check on X (formerly Twitter) might help clear it up. All you have to do is search X for_#websitedown_ , as in#facebookdown or#youtubedown . Users on X are usually the first to start talking about a website outage. Learnhow to tell if a website is down for everyone or just you for some more help.
8. Finally, if all else fails, wait. No, it’s not fun, but it might be your only course of action, especially if you’re confident the 404 error shouldn’t be happening (i.e., the page really should be at the URL you have and others are having the same problem and find it equally strange).

You can find 404 errors on your own website through tools likeDeadLinkChecker.com andATOMSEO .

Errors Similar to Error 404

Some other client-side error messages related to the 404 Not Found error include400 Bad Request ,401 Unauthorized ,403 Forbidden , and 408 Request Timeout .

Several server-side HTTP status codes also exist, like the popular500 Internal Server Error . You can see all of them in ourHTTP Status Code Errors list.

How You Might See the 404 Error

Here are some common ways in which you might see the HTTP 404 error displayed:

• 404 Error
• 404 Not Found
• Error 404
• The requested URL [URL] was not found on this server
• HTTP 404
• Error 404 Not Found
• 404 File or Directory Not Found
• HTTP 404 Not Found
• 404 Page Not Found
• Error 404. The page you’re looking for can’t be found.

These error messages can appear in any browser or anyoperating system . Most display inside the browser window just as web pages do.

404 errors received when opening links via Microsoft Office applications generate a The Internet site reports that the item you requested could not be found (HTTP/1.0 404) message inside the MS Office program.

WhenWindows Update produces one, it appears as a code_0x80244019_ or as_WU_E_PT_HTTP_STATUS_NOT_FOUND_ .

Cause of HTTP 404 Errors

Technically, an Error 404 is a client-side error, implying that it’s your mistake, either because you mistyped theURL or the page has been moved or removed from the website, and you should have known.

Another possibility is if a website has moved a page or resource without redirecting the old URL to the new one. When that happens, you’ll receive a 404 error instead of being automatically routed to the new page.

Microsoft IIS web servers sometimes give more specific information about the cause of 404 Not Found errors by suffixing a number after the_404_ , as in_HTTP Error 404.3 - Not Found_ , which means_MIME type restriction_ .

FAQ

• How do I fix error 404 messages on my website?
  If you’re aware of pages on your website with broken links, redirect or correct them. If a 404 error appears due to a deleted page, consider restoring or redirecting it to new and related content.
• How do I fix error 404 on WordPress?
  If you use WordPress, 404 errors often appear because of redirect conflicts or permalink issues. Fix broken links for individual pages or posts. Visit the WordPress dashboard and update permalink settings if it’s a site-wide problem.

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